That was my favorite sign during the dramatic blackout which my deli, with their gasoline powered generator managed to stay open, had at the entrance and above the cash registers. However, I did manage to get some coffee next store at the White Furniture Cafe. However, in seemingly true NYC fashion, downtown west of Broadway, power was restored in the early afternoon, but for those of us across and east of Broadway, we had no power until 9:10pm last night.
After my initial panic when the lights went out at work (our posh breast center is in 2 floors of sub-basement, so we have no windows to rely upon) and we had gotten all the patients out of the building, the memories of 2 years ago flooded me, but thank goodness for the dolls in my bag, and another nurse and I downed a 1mg ativan each, and got ready to face what was ahead. Luckily, it was not to the extent that my imagination was envisioning. However, traversing the city Thurs afternoon/evening to get home was a sight with the throngs of people, and when I finally got to 27th & 3rd to my co-worker's apt, and walked the 12 flights up (in the darkened stairs guided by the lighter that was burning my fingers...thank goodness I am still a smoker) to use her bathroom before my next stop, and then over to the West Village to traipse up 7 darkened flights again to feed my friend's cat while he was out of town, and then finally made my way home only to up another 11 flights (guided by a candle snatched from my friend's home). I loved that as I walked by all the bars and restaurants on my way home throughout downtown, the common phenomena was people with their drinks outside on the sidewalk while they smoked! How decadent, right?
Once home, it was very boring...and yesterday too, with little to do I went for a long walk by the river. However, the experience was very humbling in how much we take forgranted things that are power-operated. Amazing, right?